Shawn Michaels Reveals Why Match With The Rock Never Happened

Throughout their careers in WWE, The Rock and Shawn Michaels faced off against some of the biggest names in the business. However, they notably never wrestled each other, leading to long-standing rumors of tension and animosity between the two men that date back to the 1990s. Now it seems Michaels has revealed why a match between the two never happened.

While the exact cause of their supposed feud remains unclear, some have speculated that it stems from Michaels disrespecting Johnson’s grandmother. Others believe that the tension is linked to HBK’s behavior backstage during the Attitude Era, where he and Triple H were known to try and undermine anyone associated with Bret Hart, including Johnson.

In 2021, Hart himself spoke out about Michaels and Triple H’s attempts to “ruin” his career and those of his associates, including Dwayne Johnson. According to Hart, Michaels and Triple H tried to “crack” Johnson, which could explain the rumored tension between the two men.

Despite the rumors, Michaels has since stated that things were never as bad between himself and Johnson as some have speculated. However, given the intensity of the wrestling business and the complex relationships between performers, it’s likely that the truth of their dynamic will remain shrouded in mystery.

While speaking in a new interview with Alex McCarthy for the Daily Mail, Shawn Michaels addressed the long-rumored tension between himself and Dwayne Johnson and the fact that they never had a dream match against each other.

According to Michaels, he was always open to the idea of facing Johnson in the ring, but it just didn’t work out. Michaels had a change of heart in the late 1990s and retired from wrestling before returning in 2002. By that point, Johnson had become a busy and famous actor, and his priorities had understandably shifted.

“Everyone knows the story of me being difficult, having a huge change of heart and coming back in 2002. I was always open to it but it didn’t work out. He became an incredibly busy man and famous guy and everything else and I would imagine his priorities changed quite a bit, and the things he wanted to do I think he did and I respect that.

We all change and we grow,’ he said. ‘I for one always go back to the Hall of Fame when we did get to see each other and talk with each other and make peace. But that’s the thing I’ve had the opportunity to do with everyone that I’ve worked with and that’s what’s most important to me.”

It will always be a big shame that fans did not get to see the two megastars duke it out inside the squared circle when they were still active competitors. Regardless, fans have moved on from the failed match an that’s all that matters.

Are you a huge Shawn Michaels fan? Are you disappointed he never got to square off a against The Rock? Sound off in the comments!